Nearly half of America’s suspended public sector workers return to work today
but the political divisions that brought many federal operations to a
standstill are more serious than ever.

In his first interview since the start of the federal shutdown last Tuesday,
John Boehner, the Republican House Speaker, reiterated his demand for
further concessions from the Obama Administration in return for raising the
country’s debt ceiling.

His remarks appeared to renege on previous private assurances he has given
colleagues that he would not allow the government to default on its debt on
October 17, claiming that he had no idea